| School Councils in Action Teams:
an example of a successful structure and process
Cotham School, Bristol
Action Teams
Secondary/sixth form
Cotham school is a co-educational school in Bristol with 1,240
11-18 year old pupils. The Student Council is made up of 100 councillors
representing each tutor group in the school. The council is chaired by
two sixth-formers and two of its members are observers on the governing
body. Council meetings are held every five weeks during lesson time.
"I've seen our council develop from a disorganised rabble to a
body that can debate issues affecting us in an organised and serious
way - I'm proud to have been involved in that" Alex 16 year old
student
One of the most successful elements of the Cotham School Council
is a system of Action Teams which each focus on a different aspect of
school life. Each Action Team has representatives from each Year Group.
They meet at least once every half term and normally at least 10 days
before a full Student Council meeting. Two students are chosen from each
Action Team to make sure the meetings take place and to chair the meetings.
The main responsibility of the Action Teams is to take the problems
and suggestions given to them by the Year Councils and plan solutions.
The ideas are then presented to the Full Student Council for agreement.
Each Action Team has the support of a teacher, and a parent volunteer
provides organisational and secretarial back up.
"The [idea of the] action group has been the most pleasing to the
student body as a whole and is undoubtedly regarded as the success of
the whole process." (from a Human Scale Education project report)
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